2008 Water Project: pH Analysis
Melvyn Pard, William VanDenHeuvel, Alex Cohen – Honors Chemistry 103
Introduction
Site 8: North Pond
Site 15: Sequestration Pond
Site 8 was a large pond located on the northeast side of campus. The
pond had large amounts of algae and wildlife living on the pond. The
results from our testing showed that this pond was also changing due to
weather. The pH of the pond increased as the months progressed. The
temperature of the pond decreased during the same time period. On the
last sample, the algae were mostly gone along with the wildlife. The DO
on our last water sample was more than on our first water sample. An
interesting variable our group discovered was during October when
there was a large amount of leaves in the pond which could account for
the rise in pH.
9
Site 15 is a pond that is located on the southeast end of campus.
The results from our testing showed that the pond was changing
due to the weather. The pH for site 15 was decreasing as the
months progressed. When we first started testing the pond there
was large amount of algae and animal life such as frogs, water
bugs, and birds in the pond. On our last sample the algae mostly
was gone and there was less wildlife in the pond. The
temperature also dropped as the months progressed. The DO on
our last water sample was less than our first water sample. An
interesting variable that could have affected our results is that
site 15 and site 17 connected when the water levels were high.
pH for 2008
pH for Site 8 from 1997 to 2008
9.5
8
pH for Site 15 from 2001 to 2008
pH
9
8.5
9.5
Site 4
Site 8
Site 15
7
7.5
8
6
7
0
6.5
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Site 4: Whiskey Pond
The Whiskey Pond is a small pond located near the Bunker Interpretive
Center. It is generally covered in algae (in decreasing amounts as the
temperature gets colder), and this year, there were a lot of floating branches
and debris. We also observed several ducks each time we visited it. The
water in this pond seems to be very neutral in terms of pH: around 6.8, as it
has been over the last few years. Many of the other ponds in the area have
had a higher pH, up to 8 or 9. The conductivity of this pond is also lower
than many other surrounding ponds.
3
7.5
7
6.5
6
5.5
2001
8.5
pH
8
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Site 4
Site 8
Site 15
6.5
Year
6
5.5
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Throughout their time at Calvin, all students are encouraged to
participate in service learning - serving both the college and the
community through their talents and work. This water project is an
example of a service learning project: we spent time to help assess
and preserve our local environment. Through service learning, we
can learn more about ourselves and how we should spend the lives
God has given us. It is reciprocal because we can both serve the
community and grow ourselves. We appreciate the chance to help
serve the community in a scientific way.
9
7
2003
Service Learning
9.5
7.5
2002
Year
pH for Site 4, 8, 15 from 1997 to 2008
pH for site 4 from 1997 to 2008
pH
2
The pH of a liquid is a sample is the measure of how basic or
acidic it is, or the amount of dissolved hydrogen ions. In our
ponds, the pH was generally very close to 7, which is well
within the range of pH that water is generally considered to
be safe to drink, swim in, and so on. The ponds are also
within the pH range of normal ponds, and as we observed,
they are capable of sustaining wildlife. We noticed a general
trend throughout the years of this project that the pH of our
ponds has generally been increasing. This may be due to the
renovations that Calvin has been doing and the runoff due to
construction. Some of our ponds are also connected, leading
to a correlation between the changes in them. We also found
that pH is directly related to temperature, and as the
temperatures get colder, the pH of our water increases,
becoming more basic.
Year
9.5
9
8.5
8
7.5
7
6.5
6
5.5
1997
1
Sample
6
5.5
1997
8.5
pH
pH
8
9